


Black and White

by ikonicvixx (bleedingblue)



Category: K-pop, VIXX
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Blood, Blood Drinking, Creature Inheritance, Danger, Elves, Enenra - Freeform, Fantasy, Humans, M/M, Magic, Magical Inheritance, Non-Consensual Blood Drinking, Pixies, Threats of Violence, Vampires, Werewolves, Wood Wives, this is gonna be fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 10:51:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12231354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedingblue/pseuds/ikonicvixx
Summary: Jaehwan comes from a long list of Vampyres, and positivelyachesto turn 20, to just feel the magic of his Inheritance thrum through his veins. When he wakes up on that fateful day, however... there's nothing. Something's got to be wrong with him.A series of unfortunate events leads Jaehwan into running for his life, trying to escape the clutches of his bloodthirsty family... but for what purpose?[working title is working]





	Black and White

**Author's Note:**

> It's a Fantasy AU! This has been sitting in my drafts for a long time, to be honest, but I just want to see how it goes! If you're reading this, good luck, and thank you :)

He startles awake.

It’s the dead of night, the time when the birds don’t fly, when the sky isn’t glittering with stars and is just a blank slate waiting for new stories to reach its dark heights. It’s the time when Jaehwan is supposed to find himself, when he’s supposed to Awaken.

His skin is supposed to tingle, his blood is supposed to thrum with magic; he’s supposed to feel more _alive_ now. He’s supposed to feel _different_.

But he doesn’t feel anything.

He scrambles to his phone for the time, to discover it’s, in fact, half past midnight. Then, why doesn’t he feel anything?

Panicked, Jaehwan fumbles with himself, tries snapping his fingers, waiting for _something_ , anything, to no avail. Why isn’t the magic bursting out of him yet? He _can’t_ be human, that’s just...it’s not _possible_.

Jaehwan descends from a family of full-blooded Vampyres, generations old, the highest of the aristocrats. The only one who’s _not_ a vampyre is his brother, who’s actually a Pixie; their parents would have chucked him out a long time ago, had he not had one redeeming factor: he was _tenebris_. The fact that he was essentially a dark pixie garnered him some favour, since they were extremely rare.

Jaehwan, when he had first seen the chaos erupt, promised himself that nothing like that could ever happen to him. He wouldn’t allow it, not when he knew what it could cause. But here he is, living through something much, _much_ worse.

If he’s _not_ a magical creature, if he’s—god forbid—a _human_ then he’ll be sucked dry by tomorrow. There won’t be an ounce of blood left in him once his family’s done with his body, and it’ll be his entire fault for not living up to the family’s name.

A tear trails down his cheek as he stares brokenly into a mirror that’s hung up elegantly on the wall; it shimmers in the moonlight, but that’s not his focus. No, he doesn’t know how to _fix this_.

He crawls back into bed, too tired to think, and can’t help the desperate hope that it’ll all change in the morning. It _has_ to.

 

* * *

 

 

Nothing changes.

Jaehwan stares desperately at the mirror once again, hands frustratingly pulling at his cheeks, squishing them this way and that. There’s _got_ to be a mistake, maybe the Gods of the Awakening just forgot about him? Not that it’s any better but _still_ , he doesn’t...he _can’t_ —

He’s interrupted in the broken mental ramble when the door slams open, and his brother’s standing in the doorway, excited smile lighting up his tan features. But one look at the tears slipping out of Jaehwan’s eyes has him closing the door immediately behind him, smile vanishing.

“Jaehwannie,” His brother says softly, stepping closer to him and running his hand through Jaehwan’s dark, black locks, “Please don’t tell me...”

He trails off, and Jaehwan can’t help the loud sniffle that sounds immediately after the phrase.

“Hyung,” He mumbles, breath hitching in his throat, “H-Hakyeon hyung, I don’t...I think I’m a human.”

He whispers it, painfully aware of the fact that their parents have advanced hearing; being a human isn’t a bad thing necessarily, unless you’re from the oldest Vampyre coven in the lands.

“No, don’t say that,” Hakyeon drags a chair for himself and sits down on it, so that he’s facing the younger, “You’re not human. I can tell...you just need some time to ease into it.”

“Thanks,” He laughs dryly, glad that Hakyeon at least tries, “Let’s tell Mother and Father that as well, shall we?”

Hakyeon’s eyes widen at that, flashing with an imperceptible pain that makes Jaehwan immediately regret opening his mouth, and he closes his eyes, concentrating. A minute later, Jaehwan shudders, feeling the tingle of magic as it cloaks the room in its heaviness, and Hakyeon opens his eyes, his eyes that glow an eerie green hue.

“Okay, we need to get you out of here before either of them show up,” He frowns, before, with a wave of his hand, a window materialises against the stark wood making up his wall, “Your bag’s with you, right?”

“U-uh, yeah,” Jaehwan stutters, mind still trying to wrap itself around the fact that he’s apparently going to be avoiding their parents entirely, “But aren’t you going to get in trouble for this?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Hakyeon says, and starts pushing at the younger brother with all the authority in the world, “Now leave, _quickly_.”

“A-alright, hyung,” Jaehwan’s tripping over his own two feet as he shoves everything he can into a book bag, slinging it over his shoulder, “And…thanks.”

The last he sees of Hakyeon is a sad smile quirking at his lips, one hand raised in farewell, as Jaehwan slides down a carefully constructed ramp, stumbling on the soft earth.

 

* * *

 

 

He catches up to Wonsik as he nears the Academy, catching the younger boy with a hand flinging around his neck, and another coming up to ruffle his newly silver locks.

“Ah, Hyung!” Wonsik whines as he desperately tries to rearrange his hair, “What if it wasn’t me, huh?”

“…” Jaehwan stares at him, blank faced, before a smile attacks his lips, “I’d say ‘Oh! I’m so sorry sir!’”

He directs his best aegyo at the human, bowing comically, succeeding in making him crack up, heaving for breath as loud chuckles erupt from the back of his throat.

Wonsik doesn’t ask about his Awakening, which Jaehwan is grateful for; but it’s likely that he hasn’t asked only because he doesn’t remember. Humans never really give much importance to the day, but Jaehwan can’t fault them for that, not when he knows that they have nothing in particular to look forward to. Primarily human families don’t branch out to give rise to creature blood, it’s never happened.

“How’s Hakyeon hyung?” Wonsik asks nervously and, looking closely, Jaehwan can see a blush rising steadily up his neck and turning the tips of his ears red, “I didn’t get to talk to him today morning.”

“Ah, how cute~” Jaehwan pokes at the pink cheek, making the younger slap his hand away softly with an annoyed frown, “He’s doing fine as usual, don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, that’s good. Do you have Physics first?” Wonsik scrunches his face up, eager to change the subject, before shaking his head, “Never mind. I forgot today’s a Thursday.”

“I’m not even surprised, to be honest.” Jaehwan shakes his head, as he plays along, “I have music, you pabo!”

“Hey! You’re the pabo here, not me!” Wonsik crosses his arms and pouts—actually pouts—staring at Jaehwan with a betrayed gaze, “How could you, hyung?!”

“Just go!” Jaehwan pushes him playfully in the direction of his class, lips twitching, “Go enjoy Creature Studies you weirdo!”

“Okay, fine.” Wonsik rolls his eyes, cackling manically at Jaehwan’s mock hurt face, “See you after class, hyung.”

He even blows the black-haired boy a kiss, at which the younger gags comically, and smirks. It’s nice to forget his worries, even if it’s just for a moment.

 

* * *

 

 

When he’s walking towards his vocals class, Jaehwan is acutely aware of stares boring into his back, hot in their intensity. He shifts uncomfortably, but continues forward, plowing through the throng of students so that he can get to class on time. Those people probably want to know about his Inheritance anyway.

He ignores the fact that, while he is popular, he’s not so popular that everyone would know his birthday, and instead opts for rushing inside his classroom, comforted immediately by the familiar environment of dusty drum sets, polished keyboards, stacks of violin cases in the corner, and two small rows of chairs for the vocalists. There aren’t that many singers in Jaehwan’s block, but there are a lot in their school; the point is that the class ratio of vocalists to instruments is the same, so it doesn’t matter. What’s more important is the actual music and its feelings.

“Ah, Jaehwan,” He looks up when his music teacher enters the room, setting down his bag under his desk, “You’re pretty early today!”

“Yeah, Changmin seonsaeng-nim,” Jaehwan bows respectfully at him, “What’re we gonna be doing in class today?”

He’s grateful when the man doesn’t question his obvious attempt at a deflection and instead chooses to nonchalantly answer his question, smile curling at his lips:

“We’ll be doing what we always do, of course.”

It takes more than 10 minutes for rest of the students to file in, most of them looking disinterested or just sorrowful in general. Jaehwan’s passed the time well enough anyway, making small talk with his greatest teacher ever.

“Jaehwan!”

He looks up, surprised, and cracks a smile at Hongbin, who grins back him before sitting next to him. The brown-haired boy looks as immaculate as always, defeating those dumb stereotypes about werewolves being terribly unhygienic, with his hair parted neatly to the side and not a ruffle to be seen on his fashionable clothing.

“What’s up?” His friend turns to smile at him, only to rear back, eyes flashing a golden hue, “ _Shit!_ ”

“Whoa, what’s wrong?!” Jaehwan panics, fumbling with his half-open notebook, “What was that?”

“You smell really sweet,” The werewolf frowns in consternation, “It’s…it’s really weird.”

“Wait, what do you mean by that--!” Jaehwan’s cut off before he can finish his sentence, by Changmin of course, who raps his knuckles sharply against his wooden desk.

“Alright kids!” The man says excitedly, “I’ve got a project for you guys!”

The declaration is mostly met with a mixed chorus of groans; Jaehwan’s pretty excited though, and bounces lightly in his seat, trying to know more. Hongbin looks over at him, and needs to stifle a grin.

“Ravi’s gonna be really busy this month,” Hongbin whispers sneakily to Jaehwan, snickering at the thought of Wonsik’s face once he hears the news, “I think he’s given up on us though.”

“I don’t know.” Normally Jaehwan is the one to start the teasing but something in him shirks at the thought, “Maybe we should try doing it ourselves, Binnie. I’ve always wanted to be a singer-songwriter anyway.”

“Don’t lie.” Hongbin points at him threateningly with a pencil, but one incredulous look later he’s setting down his weapon with a sigh, “Okay, fine. We’ll see, we can discuss it at lunch anyway.”

And that’s exactly when the bomb is dropped:

“Did all of you think,” Changmin begins, smiling eerily, “That you could choose your own partners? Because, if so, you’re terribly wrong.”

The statement is met with cries of outrage and, this time, Jaehwan’s 100% on board with them. The man doesn’t care though, flippantly reading out the names from his list. Jaehwan’s stomach churns unpleasantly when Hongbin’s paired up with Kyungsoo—another great vocalist. It makes him wonder who he’s with.

“Jaehwan,” He looks up anxiously at the call of his name, “You’re with Kwangsik.”

What? No way.

The guy in the second row, who’s the ‘Kwangsik’ Changmin was referring to, turns around, locking gazes with Jaehwan and smiling with his prominent canines. Jaehwan shivers but turns away; Kim Kwangsik is _not_ someone to be messed with, especially if he’s _human_. He’s a really distant cousin, but still part of one of the most prominent vampire covens in the country.

“Yah--!” Hongbin’s protest dies in his throat when Jaehwan squeezes his hand in warning, and turns to look at him with serious eyes.

“Hongbin-ah.” He uses a tone of warning, trying to convey how it shouldn’t be a big deal.

“Fine. But if he bothers you, tell me.” Hongbin offers sulkily, looking entirely too eager for a fight, “I’ll sort him out.”

“Shut up, pabo,” Jaehwan knocks him lightly over the head, even though something in him warms at the concern, “It’s literally a project; he’s an asshole but he sure _can_ play the violin, you know.”

“Oh, I know.” Hongbin mutters testily under his breath, glaring at the Vampyre, “I know all too well.”

 

* * *

 

 

Later, as he passes by the corridor, he startles when he’s grabbed by the arm and Kwangsik is smiling down at him, which is no easy feat (considering he’s pretty tall himself), with coppery eyes.

“Come over to my place after school,” The black-haired boy says firmly, decisively, “I’ve already let my parents know, and they’ll speak to yours.”

“Okay.” Jaehwan bites out, something in him telling him to pull away quickly, “Now can you let go of my arm, please and thank you.”

“Alright,” The boy affirms, before there’s that infuriating smile again, “You smell…good, by the way.”

And he’s gone, leaving in his wake, only a strange fear. Jaehwan doesn’t like it. He doesn’t like _him_.

 

* * *

 

 

Jaehwan is immensely relieved by the time it’s lunch, throwing himself at Sanghyuk the second he sees him.

“Ah, Hyukkie,” He whines sadly to his boyfriend, “Senior year is so difficult!”

“Yeah, yeah, hyung,” He automatically melts under the younger male’s touch, eyes drooping as his dark hair is gently stroked with nimble fingers, “You smell different by the way, did you come into your Inheritance?”

“I don’t know,” Jaehwan doesn’t exactly want to talk about it, but this is his _boyfriend_ here, “I’m…I think I’m a human.”

“What?” Sanghyuk looks surprised, “You don’t smell like a human, how is that possible?”

“Really?” Jaehwan feels the hope lift his chest for a single moment, before it crashes down again with the realization, “But I don’t feel any different.”

“Maybe it’s just slow?” Sanghyuk suggests, before he’s nuzzling into Jaehwan’s neck, sighing in pleasure, “You do smell delicious though.”

“What?” Jaehwan nearly tills over, but his boyfriend’s arms are securely wrapped around him, “I don’t— _ngh_!”

Teeth nibble at his collar bone, making him gasp weakly and try to pry the boy off.

“Not here,” He hisses, eyes wide, “I know you’re a literal devil and all, but seriously Hyukkie, hold back for me?”

“Okay first of all, I’m a _demon_ , not a devil,” Sanghyuk points out, lifting his head slowly, eyes reddened, before he’s blinking in surprise and stepping back, entirely lost, “And I’m sorry, hyung, I don’t know what came over me.”

“Okay, yuck.” They startle when Hongbin sets his tray down in front of him with a _bang_ , Wonsik following straight after, “That was _way_ too much PDA for this cafeteria.”

“You’re just jealous,” Sanghyuk sticks his tongue out and Jaehwan and Wonsik are forced to sit through 5 whole minutes of childish gestures before the two are satisfied, “So, how’s your guys’ days been so far?”

“So far so good,” Wonsik shrugs, picking at his food, “Namjoon from Philosophy offered to hang out today and I said sure.”

“You’re not cheating on Hakyeon hyung, are you?” Jaehwan eyes Wonsik warily, heart worrying for his fragile brother, “I will _end_ you, I don’t care if I’m human or whatever, you will _die_ by _my hands_ , Kim Wonsik.”

“Aw, you’re so cute!” Sanghyuk gently tickles at Jaehwan’s sides, giggling to himself when Jaehwan tries to bat him away; he’s supposed to look _intimidating_ , damn it!

“Ah, Hwannie,” Wonsik rolled his eyes, shoveling food into his mouth, “I’d never do that to him.”

“That’s what I thought.” He nods, steadfastly ignoring Hongbin’s judging gaze and Sanghyuk’s choking laughter and adds, as an afterthought, “Bitch.”

This time, it’s Hongbin who chokes.

 

* * *

 

“But seriously, who taught you that word?” Hyuk is still ranting as they leave the lunchroom, gaping occasionally at Jaehwan, “I will go and—”

“Punch yourself?” Jaehwan offers, syrupy sweet, “I don’t think so.”

“Wait, really?” Hyuk stares at him for a beat, before the metaphorical light bulb flashes and he brightens, “I’ve taught you well!”

“I’m going to forgive you because you’re my boyfriend.” Jaehwan pretends the word doesn’t warm him from the inside, but Hyuk isn’t even trying to hide it, a goofy smile present on his face as he leans in and presses a hard kiss against Jaehwan’s lips and— _oh_ —that feels good.

“I’ll see you after your class, _boyfriend_.” He whispers and oh _god_ , Jaehwan really wants to jump him right now but he manages to hold himself back because— _duh_ —public place equals no sex.

Unfortunately.

So Jaehwan’s forced off to his last period for the day—Economics. This would be interesting if he, y’know, didn’t feel so goddamn _horny_ , thanks to a certain teasing junior of his. Goddamn Sanghyuk. He would pay for this.

Regardless, he does his best to _appear_ like he’s paying attention to whatever it is that the teacher is saying. He already learnt this stuff like a month ago with Hakyeon, so why would he even need to pay attention? He yawns tiredly, head settling comfortably against his arms. It would be okay to miss out just…a little…

 

* * *

 

 

Except it’s not, because the next second he’s being shaken awake by warm hands and peers up to see Wonsik staring down at him, amused smile adorning his face.

“You fell asleep,” He shrugs at Jaehwan’s stupefied expression, “I heard from Hongbin that you’re supposed to go to some…what’s it called?”

“What?” Jaehwan squints up at him, blearily rubbing at his eyes, “Gotta go where…?”

And that’s when it hits him, the chair falling from under his feet as he jumps up, hands scrabbling wildly for his books. Wonsik, for his part, tries to help him out, despite his obvious confusion, and manages to zip up his bag.

“Where are you going?!” The redhead yells confusedly after him, as Jaehwan trips on his way out the door, “YAH! HYUNG!”

“I’ll see you later!” He promises, “Tell Hyogi I’ll text him!”

 

* * *

 

 

He skids to a halt in front of the tall, dark haired boy at the entrance, wincing at the frown decorating those pointed, pale features.

“You’re late.” The words bite through the frigid air, and Jaehwan just plays it safe despite his misconceptions, shrugging.

“I fell asleep in class,” He laughs nervously, “Economics is just way too boring, you know.”

His attempt at lightening the mood goes entirely unnoticed, because Kwangsik’s just walking away with his hands tucked into his pockets. There’s a strange stiffness to the Vampyre, and Jaehwan would kick him if he weren’t afraid of getting killed.

“Hey!” Jaehwan doesn’t like him either but that doesn’t excuse poor manners, “Where are you going?!”

“To my car.” The other male stops and stares at him as though in condescension, “You know, so that we can drive over to my place? Unless you want to walk, of course.”

“Ah,” Jaehwan wants to punch the smug bastard’s pale face, “Right.”

He awkwardly gets into the car—a sleek black one, he’s not sure about the brand—and fiddles with his phone awkwardly. He looks over to his right and, once he sees Kwangsik’s just ignoring his existence, opens up his chats with Sanghyuk.

 

 

**To: JAGIIIYAAAAA** **❤**

_sAVE ME PLS_

**From: JAGIIIYAAAAA** **❤**

_wut  y???????_

**To: JAGIIIYAAAAA** **❤**

_I HAVE AN AFTER SCHOOL MUSIC SESSION I DONT WANNA GOOOOOO_

**From: JAGIIIYAAAAA** **❤**

_oh lol i thot it was imp._

 

 

Jaehwan pouts in frustration at the phone, both at Sanghyuk’s terrible grammar and his response, because seriously, he’s supposed to actually be confirmed. His phone pings again, with a new message.

 

 

**From: JAGIIIYAAAAA** **❤**

_anywy dnt worry abt it_

_u’ll b fine_

**To: JAGIIIYAAAAA** **❤**

_ok fine whatever_

 

 

He puts his phone away, back in his pocket, in his anger; this ultimately ends up being a bad move because now he actually needs to acknowledge Kwangsik.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Jaehwan startles easily out of his thoughts when Kwangsik chooses to speak up, watching in fascination the way his canines poked his lips as he smiles. It’s slightly terrifying and interesting at the same time, so he doesn’t exactly know what else to feel.

“No.” Jaehwan quickly rearranges his frown into a more neutral expression, playing with a tear in his jeans, “Everything’s good. How’s Aunt Soyoung, by the way?”

He feels a trill of satisfaction when the name makes the Vampyre’s eyes darken, and he turns away, looking back outside the window. The rest of the car ride is silent.

 

* * *

 

 

They eventually pull up in front of the house—well, more a mansion, really—and Jaehwan feels an uneasy prickle from underneath his skin. Something in him is telling him that it isn’t safe here. He doesn’t _feel_ safe, that’s for sure.

“Calm down.” Kwangsik rolls his eyes as he pushes past the gate, leaving it open for Jaehwan to slip inside, “We won’t bite.” He chuckles at his own wordplay.

Jaehwan walks behind him, shuddering as he feels the protective wards washing over him, as though trying to drown him. It’s heavy, it feels like he’s wadding through molasses, but when he reaches the front door, the feeling’s gone.

Kwangsik doesn’t seem to notice the difficulty or, even he does, he’s ignoring it, unlocking the door and gesturing him in with a careless hand.

“Are your parents home?” Jaehwan wonders softly, “It doesn’t look like it.”

“Oh, they are.” Kwangsik assures him darkly, making him gulp, as they climbed the stairs past the lavish front room, “It shouldn’t matter though.”

“Right.”

Jaehwan walks into Kwangsik’s room unsurely, remembering the last time he’d been here—namely, when he was about 10 years old. It was pretty boring—they were at some sort of weird party thing—and Jaehwan and Kwangsik had no one to play with but Hakyeon.

“What are you doing?” Kwangsik asks him dubiously, eyes glittering darkly, “Get that stupid look off your face and sit down. We don’t have time to waste.”

“Do you remember when we used to have play dates?” Jaehwan acquiesces, before popping out the random question, “I mean, when you weren’t so much of an asshole, it was kind of fun to hang out with you—”

He’s cut off when a hand wraps around his throat, not too hard, but soft enough to make him feel slightly powerless. Jaehwan gulps, before closing his mouth, communicating to the fuming Vampyre with his eyes that he’s not going to do anything stupid.

“Thank you.” The boy growls, letting go of Jaehwan’s throat, before turning to the case sitting by his feet, pulling out a violin, “I’ve been working on a melody before this, so we’re already pretty good where we are, I think.”

“But we’re supposed to compose it together—!” Jaehwan protests, only to interrupt his own flow as Kwangsik takes his face in his chilly hands, forcing him to look him in the eyes. A shaky exhale leaves his mouth, as though against his will, and he mumbles a quiet, “Okay.”

“Okay.” The Vampyre breathes out, almost in response, before letting go of his cheeks, and the comfortable fog is lifted, making him blink in disorientation. Kwangsik’s completely unperturbed though, wiping his bowstring with rosin before playing.

Something in him tells Jaehwan that he’s stepped into dangerous territory, but he finds that something else is making him ignore it. It’s weird.

 

* * *

 

 

Surprisingly enough, Kwangsik’s managed to build up a decent tune. Jaehwan’s not ready yet though, because he still needs to write lyrics that are compatible with the melody—as if it isn’t hard enough the other way around—and he really wants to protest but something in him stops that from happening.

“Can you at least try humming the melody?” Kwangsik says in frustration, running his hands through his glossy black locks, “Just so I know you’re not tone deaf or something.”

“Rude.” Jaehwan frowns, but compromises, “I’ll do it, but only if you play along.”

“Fine.” His tone is harsh as he agrees, “Now please get to it, _finally_.”

Jaehwan’s frown grows deeper, but he does as promised, opening his mouth to let loose the first few bars of the melody. He doesn’t even know _why_ Kwangsik wants him to do this so badly, but he doesn’t protest too much, resigned to his fate. His eyes, which begin to slip shut as the song progresses, snap back open in surprise when the music stops abruptly, the sound of the clattering violin making him look up, at Kwangsik.

Only to freeze.

Dark, crimson eyes bore into him, and his mouth grows dry when he sees how the pupils are constricted tightly, and his breath stutters.

“K-Kwangsik,” He starts backing away, slowly, trying not to provoke the Vampyre, “C-Calm down.”

“Y-You,” His voice is dark, husky, and the sound of it has Jaehwan gulping in trepidation, “You look so _pretty_.”

“What?” He gasps out, unable to react even as he’s slammed against the wall painfully, head throbbing, “Yah, snap out of it!”

Unwittingly, Jaehwan’s eyes find Kwangsik’s—and his mouth runs dry at how _red_ they are, so pretty and nice. He relaxes unconsciously in the dark-haired man’s grip, eyes beginning to grow tired, drooping. A part of him understands that this is _not supposed to be happening_ , and there is a growing sense of alarm in him; but, at the same time, there’s this pleasant calm that’s smothering it down, so softly, so gently.

Jaehwan likes feeling calm.

“You smell _really_ good.”

The rough scrape of sharp canines over the exposed column of his throat has a soft breath escaping him; his head rolls back in accommodation, vision still tinted an enamoring shade of red, trying to make it easier for him. Kwangsik wastes no time at the invitation; and Jaehwan doesn’t even react as his skin breaks for the blood to seep into the Vampyre’s mouth.

His hands drunkenly fist themselves in those dark locks, heart beating wildly, thumping in his head, as his lips part, wanting to urge him on. The rough slide of a tongue over his sensitive skin has him mewling softly into the air, eyes glassy and unfocused.

“So pretty.” Kwangsik murmurs again, drawing back; rivets of blood—Jaehwan’s blood—trail down his chin, dripping into the sheets below. Jaehwan can’t move, head lolling uselessly against Kwangsik’s arm, which is still pressing into the wall. He doesn’t _want_ to, he just wants to stay there, and let all the red come out of him, if it makes Kwangsik happy.

“P-Please.” The word wrenches itself from Jaehwan’s mouth and, abruptly, it’s like the spell’s broken, because the crimson of Kwangsik’s eyes disappears, leaving only a horrified black in its stead.

“Shit!” He curses, uncharacteristically, scrambling off the bed before returning with tissues, pressing them urgently to Jaehwan’s neck. The blonde doesn’t understand though, staring at him in surprise and frowning. The water’s still lapping over the crown of his head, suffocating even his thoughts, and he looks transparently through the Vampyre’s form.

“W-Why’d you stop?” He protests, wanting to feel more of the numbing pain and that nearly makes Kwangsik stop in his tracks; a slight rustle of tissues later, he’s gripping Jaehwan by the shoulders and looking deep into his eyes.

“Wake up.”

Those two simple words resound in the air, and it’s like a void’s been sucked out; Jaehwan gasps for air, suddenly, as the heaviness in the room washes over him. His hand flies to his neck, stomach curling sickeningly, as what just happened starts to sink into him.

“You’re not going to be safe here.” Kwangsik says, and the sound of his voice is enough for Jaehwan to rear back, small tendrils of fear branching through his veins, “You should leave.”

“You…” He can feel the dampness still on his neck, fingers slick with blood, “You bit me.”

“Yes, I know.” Kwangsik’s eyes are dark, “And if you don’t want me to do it again, I suggest you get the hell out of here.”

“I-I don’t understand.” He’s still sluggishly climbing to his feet though, stumbling forward, “W-Why—”

“This isn’t the time for questions.” Kwangsik hisses, pupils flared as he pushes Jaehwan out, “And whatever you do, _don’t sing_.”

Before Jaehwan can even protest that ludicrous command, he finds himself standing outside the room, skin prickling with an uncomfortable sheen of sweat and neck still stinging. He’s lucky Kwangsik didn’t decide to Mark him, else it’d be the end of life as he knows it. Jaehwan realizes he’s taking this entirely too calmly, as he walks out the door, but he thinks it might be the shock factor coming into play.

He isn’t sure how, but he manages to stumble to the doorway without bumping into anyone. The sweat beading his forehead makes his hair get plastered down to it, and he haphazardly pushes it back. Of course, it’s like fate loves to mess with him because, just as he reaches for the door, his wrist is roughly grabbed, so that he’s easily pinned to the door.

He can blearily make out long, elongated canines poking out from pale lips; he closes his eyes so that he doesn’t need to look into his Aunt’s crazed red irises. He knows what’ll happen if he looks.

“When you first came inside, I thought you smelled different.” She simpers, and Jaehwan flinches at the tone, “But now I know.”

“Know what?” He can’t deny his curiosity, even as his head swims dangerously, still in the aftershocks.

“Don’t _tell_ me,” He hisses when he feels cold fingers pressing to the wound on the side of his neck, “You don’t know why you made my Kwansikkie lose control?”

“Just get to it.” He bites out, mind weakening under the pain, “And let _go_ of me.”

“No.” Her eyes glimmer with cruelty of nearly a thousand years, “It has been a long time since I’ve seen something like _you_ come into being.”

Her hand runs down the side of Jaehwan’s cheek, making him close his eyes in silent consternation.

“What are you talking about?” He groans out as the burning grows stronger, making his muscles tense. Something begins to build up in his gut.

“A wood-wife huh?” His heart freezes as his head is turned to the side, “We’d wiped all of them out before, but I guess something’s trying to bring them back.”

“W-Wood-wife?” Jaehwan stutters out, and he knows he should be _moving_ , but he’s frozen, stock still, “T-That’s impossible, I’m n-not a girl—!”

“That doesn’t matter now, does it?” Her eyes flutter shut as she brings her mouth closer to his neck, “It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted one of _those_. I’m going to enjoy your blood, sweetheart.”

“No.” Jaehwan murmurs, shaking, and the pressure in his abdomen makes him nearly burst, “No!”

He doesn’t realize what’s happening as something faintly roars over his ears, and a scream of pain sounds into the room. His vision barely refocuses as his Aunt growls in fury and sings at him; he feels surprisingly light on his feet as he manages to dodge her and stumble out of the house, wincing at the brightness of the sun.

He knows his Aunt is one of the more orthodox Vampyres, never preferring to go out in the sun like the rest of them, so is sure he’s safe so long as he’s in the sunlight.

“Lee Jaehwan!” He hears her cry out in outrage, and he _can’t stop shaking_ even as he runs out the gate, shoulders shaking, “Get back here!”

 

* * *

 

 

He isn’t sure how long he’s been running for, but he eventually stops, just as the sweat collects at his brow, dripping down his neck. He sees a couple of passerby’s giving him concerned looks, but he flops down against a public bench to catch his breath.

His hands still tremble, and his eyes widen when he sees sparks of electric blue sparking from the tips of his fingers. His mind flashes back to what he heard his Aunt say before and a tiny, involuntary noise escapes his throat.

 _Wood-wife_.

He’d heard of them; gorgeous, ethereal creatures that were kind and good. They were said to be the fairest of the women, with helpful intentions and warm hearts. Until, of course, they were wiped out by Vampyres. Jaehwan didn’t know it was a related coven that did it, though.

And there lies the problem.

Jaehwan is _not_ a girl. Jaehwan is _not_ from an extinct species. Jaehwan…is _not_ human.

He sighs, and gets out his phone from his backpack. It’s not easy to type, but he manages to anyway, with shaking fingers.

“ _Hello?_ ” He hears, and that makes the dam burst. Tears slip out of his eyes as he presses the phone to his ear, trying to hear Hakyeon’s voice better, “ _Jaehwannie_?”

“Hyung.” He croaks out, biting his lips, “Hyung, I—”

“ _Yah, are you crying?_ ” The shock underlying Hakyeon’s words is palpable, and Jaehwan can’t answer him, as the gravity of the situation begins to dawn on him, “ _Where are you?_ ”

He looks around with bleary eyes, before sniffling pitifully into the phone.

“I’m in the park, near school.” He shudders lightly, sob wrenching out from his throat, “H-Hyung, I’m _scared_.”

“I’ll be right over, okay?” Hakyeon’s voice is warm, and it makes the tears run down harder, “Stay strong, okay Hwannie?”

“Yeah.” He mumbles out, drawing his knees close to himself, hugging them to his chest, “H-How long will it take?”

“Hardly any time.” He startles when Hakyeon suddenly appears in front of him, eyes wide.

“You’re already here?” He questions in disbelief, and Hakyeon shrugs, “Oh, right, magic.”

“Yeah.” As Hakyeon sits down, Jaehwan chooses to say nothing; just watches the graceful, natural movements of his fingers as they tap against his knee, “So, are you willing to tell me what happened?”

“Yeah.” Jaehwan echoes Hakyeon’s words, staring listlessly at his own knees, clad in a pair of ripped jeans. He startles when he feels the warmth of his brother’s hand resting on his leg, the light squeeze making him look up at the tanned boy.

“What’s wrong?” Hakyeon asks, before his eyes widen, and he gasps in shock.

“What happened?” Jaehwan questions in surprise, before he notices that Hakyeon’s eyes are trained to the side of his neck, where— _oh shit_.

He quickly slaps a hand onto his neck, trying to hide the bruise, but he knows the damage is done when he sees his brother’s eyes flickering a dangerous blue.

“Who did this to you?” He demands, and Jaehwan can see the tiniest of black sparking off his hands, “Tell me, and I’ll deliver them _personally_ to their coffins, for good.”

“Hyung, it was an accident!” He says quickly, though his chest grows warm at the open concern, “It was…it was my fault, anyway.”

“What?” Hakyeon looks incredulous for a second, before he closes his eyes, a deep sigh leaving his lips, “Alright, explain it to me.”

“Well…” Jaehwan’s mind flashes back to what he’s been keeping away for the past hour, and tears begin to brim at the corners of his eyes, “I think I came into my Inheritance.”

“Well, that’s great news!” Hakyeon turns instantly bright, before he catches the sad glint in Jaehwan’s eyes, “There’s something wrong, isn’t there?”

He manages a nod.

“What is it?” Hakyeon asks carefully, before hesitantly cracking a smile, “You’re not a werewolf, right?”

“No.” Jaehwan shakes his head slowly, phantom pain spreading around the bite mark in his neck, the harsh press of canines to skin, “I don’t know what I am.”

He looks at Hakyeon pleadingly, “I…the only thing I know is that bad things start to happen when I sing.”

“So, you’re like…a Siren or something?” Hakyeon guesses, head quirked to the side, “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“I considered that.” Jaehwan allows, “But…but Aunt Soyoung—”

“Wait, you met _her_?!” Hakyeon screeches, interrupting his sentence, “Where the hell _were_ you, Jaehwan?”

“Kwangsik’s house.” He admits, making his brother suck in a breath, “For a project.”

“Has anyone ever told you,” Hakyeon’s looks pale, his voice faint, “How much of an idiot you are?”

“You have,” Jaehwan points out jokingly, even though he knows he probably shouldn’t, “Every day, actually.”

“Shut up.” Hakyeon rolls his eyes, before coming to cup his hands around the bruise on Jaehwan’s neck; he feels the warmth tingling through him, and he knows that it’s probably disappeared, “Okay, now that _that_ ugly thing is off your neck, tell me what that woman said.”

Jaehwan giggles lightly at the displeased twitch of Hakyeon’s nose at the mention of their Aunt—he _really_ doesn’t like her.

“Well, she said I smelled like a…” Jaehwan presses his lips together, hating how dumb he’s going to sound, “Like a wood-wife.”

There’s a brief moment of silence as he waits for Hakyeon to start laughing at him, but it never comes.

“No way.” The words are breathed out, and Jaehwan’s head snaps up, so that he can properly see the shock coloring his hyung’s pointed features, “You’re…you’re serious?”

“Yeah.” Jaehwan affirms slowly, eyes never leaving Hakyeon’s terrified blue irises, “B-But I know that can’t be true, since I’m, y’know, _not a girl_ so we don’t need to—”

“Get up.” Jaehwan yelps as Hakyeon grabs his arm, hoisting him up, “You know where Sanghyuk lives, right?”

“Of course I do, he’s my boyfriend!” Jaehwan protests, wrenching his arm from Hakyeon’s grip, “But why, I mean…”

He trails off, eyes wide. “Don’t tell me you’re actually believing this.”

“I heard stories.” Hakyeon says, averting his eyes; just like how he’s dodging the question, “That said that wood-wives were essential for balance, and that there would be a shocking revelation upon which they would return.”

“Hyung, this doesn’t make any sense!” Jaehwan counters, eyes wide, as Hakyeon sighs wearily.

“I know, Hwannie,” He admits, before offering out his arm, “But…just to be on the safe side, please? For hyung?”

Jaehwan eyes the arm warily, unable to actually believe what Hakyeon’s saying. There’s no way any of his crazy theory is true, and there’s no way Jaehwan’s an extinct creature in the wrong gender.

“This doesn’t mean I believe you.” He wraps a hand around Hakyeon’s warm arm.

“I know,” Hakyeon smiles grimly, “Now picture our destination in your mind.”

Jaehwan barely closes his eyes, just as the magic whips them away.

**Author's Note:**

> If you think anything needs to be fixed, please don't hesitate to let me know!


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